Sefko: Why Morrow? Shooting display after practice provides answer

1/11

Chris Chambers/Getty Images

TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ANTHONY MORROW: It wasn't the splashiest move, but the Mavericks acquired 3-point shooter Anthony Morrow at the trade deadline. While Morrow may be an under-the-radar guy, here are 10 things you'll want to know about the newest Maverick.

Very seldom does an NBA gym stop for anything. Players
are working on their games, oblivious to what’s happening around them.

That wasn’t the case Saturday afternoon on the Mavericks’ practice court,
when Anthony Morrow started going around the 3-point arc, lofting perfect shot
after perfect shot.

Dirk Nowitzki stopped in his tracks and watched the newest Maverick make the
first 21 triples he fired up. By the time the streak hit 20, Nowitzki and other
teammates were shouting both encouragement and, shall we say, less-flattering
things to try to rattle the fiery-hot Morrow.

Finally, with four shots left to run a perfect rack of 25 3-pointers — five
each from both corners, both wings and straight out from the basket — Morrow
left one just a fraction short. Smiling, he made the last three to go
24-of-25.

Nevertheless, it was a nice way to introduce himself to the Mavericks. Morrow
went through his first practice session — a crash course, coach Rick Carlisle
called it.

Then Morrow put on the shooting show. When he was done, it was clear that’s
why the Mavericks traded Dahntay Jones to Atlanta for the fifth-year player out
of Georgia Tech.

Morrow said he’s thrilled to be with the Mavericks, even though he left a
team in the Hawks that is definitely playoff bound. It wasn’t the right
situation for Morrow, who had trouble getting playing time, even though he was
shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range in limited duty.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the team,” Morrow said. “I’m extremely
blessed to be here coming from my last situation. I couldn’t stop smiling. I
knew that Dallas was one of the places I could end up after the deadline. I’m
glad to be here.

“It’s a great offense for me. Defensively, I’m going to work my tail off, so
we can shave some of these beards off.”

That’s a reference to the vow by O.J. Mayo, Vince Carter, Nowitzki, Chris
Kaman and a couple of other players not to shave until the Mavericks get back to
.500, the pursuit of which continues at noon Sunday against the Los Angeles
Lakers.

Morrow’s shooting Saturday was nothing the Mavericks didn’t expect. He’s been
a dead-on 3-point threat his whole career. But he still might only finish second
when it comes to all-time shooters to pass through Dallas, said Nowitzki, the
Mavericks’ all-time leader in 3s.

“If he stands still, he’s money,” Nowitzki said. “It looks the same every
time. He gets it off quick. If he’s open, it’s going in. But we already knew
that. He was a great spot-up shooter under Nellie [Don Nelson], and I think he
gave us 30 one time here.”

Indeed, Morrow had games of 29 and 27 points against Dallas, including a
combined 9-of-12 3-point shooting in his first two seasons in the league when he
was with Golden State. For his career, he’s averaged 16.7 points against the
Mavericks, his highest mark against any team in the NBA.

At least the Mavericks won’t have to put up with that anymore.

While Morrow’s shooting will be a welcome addition, there are some
grassy-knoll theories out there that his close friendship with a certain
soon-to-be-free-agent center might have been a secondary reason the Mavericks
traded for him.

It never hurts to have good relations with anybody who might have Dwight
Howard’s ear, right? Well, Morrow wishes he had better news. But when he and
Howard get together, recruiting is not high on the list.

“That’s my guy,” Morrow said of Howard. “We’ve been close since high school.
We’re very close now. But we haven’t talked at all about free agency. It’s
something that’s going to be settled on his behalf.

“That’s the business part of it. I don’t have any power in that. He’s going
to do what he’s going to do. He’ll definitely make the best decision for himself
and his family.”

Asked if Morrow could let Howard know what a fine place Dallas is, he said:
“He should know that already.”

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.